Connecting elements, such as, for example, connecting pins, are required in order to connect rotating shafts to one another. Connecting pins of the type in question are used for constant velocity joints, tripod joints and also universal joints in order to connect rotary spindles, which do not run parallel, to each other in a form-fitting manner such that the rotational movements can be transmitted from one spindle to the other. Connecting pins are customarily produced from steel or another metal. Connecting pins which are manufactured together with a joint outer part from a blank are also referred to as pivot pins. The connecting pin serves to connect joints or articulated shafts on one side, for example, to a gearing or a drive. The connecting pin comprises, for example, an inner and/or outer toothing, a circlip groove and/or a thread. Furthermore, a connecting or pivot pin used on the transmission side can have a running surface of a shaft sealing ring and oil grooves. The joint outer part has what are referred to as ball and cage raceways, in which the balls arranged in the interior can change the relative position thereof with respect to the joint outer part. This makes it possible to deflect the rotational movement in a different direction via the translatory movement of the balls within the joint outer part. Furthermore, further functional elements, such as, for example, an ABS ring can be provided. It has now been determined that the pivot pins which have hitherto been used and are customarily provided with a connecting pin made from solid material can be optimized in respect of the weight thereof. Furthermore, the pivot pins are generally produced from blanks by an extrusion process which is relatively complicated. In particular, functional surfaces, for example the ball raceways and/or cage raceways, partially have to be produced or manufactured with a material-removing operation. This results in a relatively large number of manufacturing steps. It is a further disadvantage that a minimum strip thickness has to be ensured for the extrusion process. A material-removing reduction of the wall thickness is too costly. As a result, pivot pins have a considerable weight saving potential.
German patent DE 42 13 285 C2 discloses a method for producing a joint outer part of a pivot pin of a spherical rotary joint or a tripod joint, in which, from a billet which is preshaped by deep drawing or from a pre-shaped tubular body, the regions of the ball or roller raceways are formed exclusively in the respective edge regions of the ball and roller raceways radially via roller external tools. Although the deep drawing process or the method for producing the joint outer part from a tubular body basically permits a reduction in the wall thickness, the latter cannot be configured to suit the load, since said wall thickness remains substantially constant during the deep drawing process. Furthermore, the joint outer part still has to be connected in an integrally bonded manner to the connecting pin in a further working step. Overall, the production of the pivot pin is therefore likewise complicated.